Golf bag cuff



United States Patent O 3,315,719 GOLF BAG CUFF Michael Kish, Jr., Hightstown, NJ., asslgnor to Atlantic Products Corporation, Trenton, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 442,255 Claims. (Cl. 150-1.5)

This invention relates to golf bags, and more specifically relates to a novel method and structure for forming a soft, continuous bumper on the cuff.

Golf bags are commonly provided with upper cuffs which serve to finish the top of the bag tube and are sewn to the bag tube as a subassembly. These cuffs are commonly provided with upper or lower finishing strips which consist of a folded material generally provided about the upper end of the cuff. In the past, these finishing strips have been relatively rigid, and terminate on a sharp land exposed raw edge.

The present invention provides a novel construction and method for forming a bumper-type member in place of the finishing strip which has a soft bulbous appearance wherein stitching is protected against abrasion and raw edges are not exposed.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a novel method for sewing a bumper on a golf bag cuff.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel soft bulbous bumper for a golf bag cuff.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a novel finishing means on a golf bag cuff which has no exposed edges or stitching.

These -and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective View of a golf bag cuff of the prior art type and a portion of the main golf bag tube.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the golf bag cuff of FIGURE l in the open or strip form prior to its final fabrication.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIGURE 2 taken across the lines 3 3 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional View of the cuff of FIG- URE 1 fabricated in accordance with the steps shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

FIGURE 5 is similar to FIGURE 2, but illustrates the manner in which the Abumper material is initially sewn to the cuff body in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of FIGURE 5 taken across the lines 6 6 in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional View through a completed cuff formed following the steps of FIGURES 5 and 6.

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the rear of the cuff of FIGURE 7 when formed in accordance with the invention.

I Referring first to the prior art illustrated in FIGURES l through 4, golf bag cuffs such as the cuff 10 are commonly used to terminate the top of the main golf bag body 11, as illustrated in FIGURE 1. Thus, it is com, mon practice to secure the golf bag body 11 to the cuff 10 in any desired manner as by sewing.

The present invention involves the manufacture of the cuff 10 and particularly relates to a novel method and structure for the finishing section 12 of the cuff 10.

In the past, and as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the cuff is formed of a main stiff fiber body 13 which has an outer fabric or pseudo fabric 14 sewn thereto along the stitch line 15. The fabric 14 in the past has been a relatively thin body material whose purpose is mainly to finish the appearance of the bag.

After sewing the finishing material 14 to the rigid fiber 3,315,719 Patented Apr. 25, 1967 ICC body 13, it being noted that thicknesses are exaggerated in FIGURES 3 and 4 for purposes of clarity, two liber strips 16 and 17 are sewn to the upper edge of fabric 14 to assist in bending the fabric 14 around and toward what will become the interior of the cuff. Thus, strips 16 and 17 are sewn to fabric 14 along stitch lines 16a and 17a, respectively. Thereafter, the fabric 14 will be bent to the right and downwardly in FIGURE 3. The outer surfaces of strips 16 and 17 can Ibe coated with a suitable cement and cemented to the interior of fiber body 13 or, if desired, an additional stitch line 18 can be provided to sew the inverted inner end of fabric 14 to the body 13. Thereafter the elongated fiber strip will be rolled about to the final enclosed shape of the cuff, as illustrated in FIGURE 4.

It will be observed that in the finished product, the finishing strip 15 will have exposed end portion 19 and the exposed stitch line 15. This end portion 19 is unsightly, and often is sharp enough to cause minor cuts or skin abrasions if improperly handled. Moreover, the stitch line 15 is exposed to abrasion and is unsightly.

The principle of the present invention is to provide a soft expanded material to replace the fabric body, and t-o provide a novel method of securing this material to the liber body 13 so that it will have a soft bumper effect, Iand to protect the stitch lines from abrasion.

More specifically, and referring to FIGURES 5 through 8, the fiber body 13 is identical to that previously used, and a novel bumper material 2f) is sewn to body 13 on what will become its exterior surface along the stitch line 20a. In accordance with one feature of the invention, this material 20, which replaces the fabric 14, is an expanded vinyl material which is an air-filled material having a soft leathery feel, and comprises an attractive finishing material. The bumper material has two surfaces, i.e., a first and second surface. The bottom of the expanded vinyl material 2li then has secured thereto suitable strips such as strips 16 and 17 of FIGURE 2 which will assist in bending the expanded vinyl 2f) over the fi-ber body 13.

More specifically, and in FIGURE 6, the fabric body 20 will be bent upwardly and over the top of fiber body 13, and then downwardly and to the left of fiber body 13. The interior end of fabric 20 may then be secured to the interior of body 13 in any desired manner as by cementing or, if desired, by a stitch line 21. Thereafter, the fiber body 13 is bent Iaround to its enclosed shape similar to that shown in FIGURE 1, with the right-hand surface of fiber body 13 of FIGURE 6 facing the exterior of the circle. The finished device is thus similar to that shown in FIGURE 7.

In the completed product, it will be first noted that the switch line 20a which is equivalent to stitch line 15 of FIGURE 2 is now hidden by the inwardly curved fabric body 20. This inwardly curved arrangement, best shown in FIGURE 8, not only serves to hide the stitch line 20w, but further serves lto cause the material 20 to bulge outwardly, thereby providing a soft bumper effect. Moreover, by causing the end of fabric body 20 to Ibe captured within the curved shape, the end is no longer exposed to view, and cannot serve to cut or abrade the skin. Conversely, the effective edge of bumper 20 is now a soft, continuously curved body. This soft continuously curved shape is further shown in FIGURE 8 which views the cuff of FIGUlRE 7 from the rear thereof.

Note that the stitch line 21 may be placed close enough to the bottom exterior of bumper 20 as to be hidden thereby if cementing is not used. Thus, the resulting product is one in which a soft bulbous bumper effect is -provided for the top of the golf bag. Moreover, all

sharp edges are inaccessible and stitch lines are protected against possible abrasion.

Although this invention has been described with respect to its preferred embodiments, it should be under- A stood that many variations and modifications will now be obvious to those skilled in the art, and it is preferred, therefore, that the scope of the invention be limited n-ot b-y the specific disclosure herein but only be the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive privilege or property is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A golf bag cuff comprising a cylindrical support body and a bumper secured about one end of said cylindrical support body; said bumper having a first surface and a second surface, said bumper having an inwardly folded end section, at said end section said first surface being positioned adjacent the outer surface of said cylindrical support body; connection means for connecting said inwardly folded support section to said cylindrical support body along an annular securement line; said bumper bending upwardly and over `said annular securement line and extending over the end of said cylindrical support body and extending inwardly of said cylindrical support |body, said second surface of said bumper being adjacent the interior surface of said cylindrical support body.

2. The golf bag cuff substantially as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bumper is formed of an expanded, flexible material characterized in having the properties of an expanded vinyl material.

3. A golf bag cuff comprising a cylindrical support body and a bumper secured about one .end of said cylindrical support body; said bumper having an inwardly folded end section positioned adjacent the outer surface of said cylindrical support body; connection means for connecting said inwardly folded support section to said cylindrical support body along an annular securement line; said bumper bending upwardly and over said annular securement line and extending over the end of said cylindrical support body and extending inwardly and adjacent the interior surface of said cylindrical support body; said connection means including stitched lines.

4. A golf bag cuff comprising a cylindrical support body and a bumper secured about one end of said cylindrical support body; said bumper having an inwardly folded end section positioned adjacent the outer surface of said cylindrical support body; connection means for connecting said inwardly folded support section to said cylindrical support body along an annular securement line; said bumper bending upwardly and over said annular securement line and extending over the end of said cylindrical support body and extending inwardly and adjacent the interior surface of said cylindrical support body; the portion of said bumper extending inwardly of said cylindrical support body including reinforcing fiber strip means secured thereto; and securing means securing said fiber strip means to said cylindrical support body.

5. The method of manufacture of a golf bag cuff including the steps of placing an elongated flexible material sheet on the surface of an elongated reinforcing sheet with a first end of said elongated material sheet approximately adjacent a first end of said elongated reinforcing sheet, sewing said elongated exible material sheet to said surface `of said elongated reinforcing sheet along an elongated stitch line, forming said elongated reinforcing sheet linto a tube with said surface defining the exterior surface of said tube, and folding the portion of said elongated flexible material sheet below said stitch line around said first end of said reinforcing sheet land into the interior of said tube.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1934 Hirschhorn FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

1. A GOLF BAG CUFF COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL SUPPOER BODY AND A BUMPER SECURED ABOUT ONE END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SUPPORT BODY; SAID BUMPER HAVING A FIRST SURFACE AND A SECOND SURFACE, SAID BUMPER HAVING AN INWARDLY FOLDED END SECTION, AT SAID END SECTION SAID FIRST SURFACE BEING POSITIONED ADJACENT THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SUPPORT BODY; CONNECTION MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID INWARDLY FOLDED SUPPORT SECTION TO SAID CYLINDRICAL SUPPORT BODY ALONG AN ANNULAR SECUREMENT LINE; SAID BUMPER BENDING UPWARDLY AND OVER SAID ANNULAR SECUREMENT LINE AND EXTENDING OVER THE END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SUPPORT BODY AND EXTENDING INWARDLY OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SUPPORT BODY, SAID SECOND SURFACE OF SAID BUMPER BEING ADJACENT THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SUPPORT BODY. 